Friday, 16 May 2014

Children and how TV influences them

I came across this article on the BBC website about the effects of children being exposed to harmful material before the watershed.

We don't get a lot of British TV in South Africa apart from quiz and games shows, a couple of crime shows and Eastenders.

The report is by the National Association of Headteachers and I do think it's a bit strange that the BBC are advertising this message, especially as it is about programmes that they make, advertise and schedule viewing of. I watched Eastenders this evening, it was shown at 5.20pm it contained sex, violence, affairs, lying, family feuds & alcoholism. It could be said that this represents real life, but it is highly unlikely that all this happens in one evening, in one house, in one street. But I do agree that a lot of the story lines can help individuals with sensitive issues. I used to use episodes of soaps with my teaching and youth work to help relate to situations.

But it's not just adult television that influences your child, nor their access to the internet, children's programmes greatly influence your children.

On a recent trip to the UK staying with family and friends with young children there were 2 incidents that stood out and grabbed my attention.

The first being told about a friends child who had developed an American accent from watching too much TV, the second watching Adventure Time with my friends children aged 6-11, when one of the characters said to another 'to pass the monster you must stop her from crying and as everyone knows, to stop a woman from doing anything, you must make her think it's her idea.'

I am still gob smacked by what I heard.

Do you think your child watches too much TV? or is influenced by it and not just the adverts, but the contents of even children's programmes?